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Hillwalking in Winter

Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. All route descriptions, timings and difficulties given here are for summer conditions. See our Winter Essentials page for basic information on the skills, techniques and knowledge needed for winter hillwalking.

Users' reports

As well as reading our description of each walking route, you can read about the experiences of others users on this walk and others.There are 8 user reports for this walk - click to read them.

Accommodation

Walk Description

Stage 1

There is rough informal parking on the verges of the minor road along the south side of Loch Earn, mostly just west of the hump-backed bridge over the Ardvorlich burn. The walk begins up the track on the east side of the burn, passing between the urn-topped stone gateposts. Keep right at the fork below the farm cottages, crossing the bridge back to the west side of the burn. Ardvorlich House is seen ahead here, but instead turn left once over the bridge.

Stage 2

The track climbs up hill and passes through several gates (some locked with stiles alongside). After 1.5km from the start, fork left onto an initially narrow path. This soon joins a hydro track and follows this uphill, crossing a shallow concrete ford at one point. Keep left when the track forks to continue up the glen. The track crosses a bridge before eventually ending by some small hydro dams.

Stage 3

From here a rough and faint ATV track continues uphill through the heather, with Ben Vorlich dominating. Ordnance Survey maps show the path here continuing all the way up the glen to the bealach, but in fact the ATV track eventually leaves the glen and climbs a little way towards Beinn Domhnuill before ending (there is no path further up the glen). You can either take a direct route from here as described, or continue towards the Bealach Gliogarsnaich as used for our return route.

Stage 4

For the direct route, climb diagonally across the slope to reach the bealach south of Beinn Domhnuill. The bealach is in fact a wide area of peat bog, with hags to negotiate. Continue southeast across rough, hummocky and boggy terrain. Careful navigation is required in mist to eventually reach the foot of the final, much steeper rise to Meall na Fearna - which has a tiny cairn on a grassy plateau.

Stage 5

The quickest return is probably to head back across the peat bog and down to the top of the ATV track. A slight variation is to instead head over the 717m top south of Beinn Domhnuill and follow a line of fenceposts up and down along a very hummocky ridge before finally cutting down to the Bealach Gliogarsnaich.

Stage 6

There is no path here, but the east side of the glen can be descended to eventually pick up the outward route. There are fine views to Loch Earn throughout the descent.